


We'll Always Be A Team

by theprincessed



Category: Emmerdale RPF
Genre: Banter, Canon Het Relationship, F/M, M/M, Male Friendship, Platonic Cuddling, Platonic Kissing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-08
Updated: 2016-07-08
Packaged: 2018-07-22 08:41:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,636
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7427893
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/theprincessed/pseuds/theprincessed
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Danny goes missing at the British Soap Awards 2016 after-party. Ryan goes to find him…</p>
            </blockquote>





	We'll Always Be A Team

**Author's Note:**

> This is just an excuse to post something else because it crossed my tumblr dash and reminded me I wrote it lol. Just a little BSA ficlet that I wanted to keep on this account. :)

Following the exhilaration of unexpectedly winning a great haul of awards, it's a mad rush to start the after-party that's no doubt set to last until the early hours. The soaps are notorious for letting loose and last year, Ryan's first, had been no exception. This time, he's determined to somewhat keep his bearings and his head, despite the temptation to go wild. Everyone deserves it, for winning Best (Damn) Soap especially and it seems that Danny's taken to the celebrating like a duck to water. At least it would seem that way if Ryan hadn't lost him about five minutes into arriving to the after-party. He's not sure where Daniel is either, vaguely remembering him mentioning going to the bar.

Next to him, Daisy squeezes the crease of his elbow where her arm is linked through his. He dips his head down slightly to be able to hear her above the music and loud chatter. “Go and find him.”

“What? Who?” He meets her dark raised eyebrow, brooking no argument, and licks his lips, sheepish. “ _Why_?”

She looks down at his restlessly tapping foot. He opens his mouth to make some feeble excuse that he's enjoying the music, but quickly changes his mind because her expression won't let up. He's never met a woman more gloriously stubborn, but the smile that follows is worth it.

She touches his jaw lightly, amused. “You're very transparent, darling.”

Ryan takes her hand from around his arm to hold it in his. “But I'm here, with you,” he says, except his eyes flicker over her head when he sees what he thinks is a flash of check. It turns out not to be Danny and he sighs. This is one of the many reasons he married her. She knows him so well and can see when she's won him over. 

“Find him, have your moment alone then come back. I can look after myself, yes?”

“Okay, I get the point.” he laughs, “I didn't want you thinking I was abandoning you for a showbiz party, that's all,”

“Hardly.” she shakes her head, “Besides, Danny's supposed to be getting a ride back with us and Daniel. I'm letting you do all the work of finding them both.”

“Brains as well as beauty. Aren't I a lucky guy?”

Ryan lifts her hand and presses a kiss to her knuckles before letting go with one last squeeze to be swallowed up by the crowds. Anyone who's anyone is here and as much as he appreciates being stopped by fellow actors offering their congratulations, he really does want to make sure Danny is alright. He's fully prepared to find him, probably with Daniel as his partner in crime, with his tie around his head and dancing on tables, so is surprised to walk past a small balcony at the back of the building to see a familiar silhouette standing alone and very calm. He runs through several options in his head of what to say as he goes to stand next to him.

“Y'alright?” he asks softly.

Danny glances at him sidelong and snorts. He knows that Ryan inwardly rehearses these things sometimes, searching for the right thing to say, and often going against this natural instinct because Danny prefers to call a spade a spade. He swirls his drink in his glass and knocks it back, grimacing. Ryan doesn't know why he puts himself through it, other than to look as dapper as he does. 

Finally, he nods. “Yeah, buzzin', mate.” Ryan turns his body towards him and stares, unconvinced, and waiting it out for the truth this time. Danny sighs, relenting because Daisy's not the only one with a silently deadly, obstinate streak. “I just can't help thinking that tonight I got awarded for playing pretend. I know it's what we do,” he says, to ward off Ryan jumping in immediately to make him feel better, “but there's people out there that... what Aaron went through, it's their reality and...I guess I can't shake that yet.”

Having repressed the urge for long enough, Ryan pulls Danny around to lean back against the stonework of the balcony and puts his am around his shoulder. “Dan, listen to me - ”

“You never call me Dan. This must be serious.” he interrupts, mouth turned up faintly at the corner and his head tilted to look at his friend.

Ryan raises his eyebrows, staring him down. “Are you listening?” Danny rolls his eyes but nods for him to continue. “You don't have to forget about it, not now, not ever if you don't want to. In fact, I love that about you, y'know? You said once that as long as you reached out to one person then you'd be satisfied, but I think you've done more than that and now it's time to cut yourself some slack and enjoy yourself because _you deserve it_ , Danny, honestly. You're not, I don't know, being disrespectful to the storyline or something,”

At least that gets a small giggle. “Am I that dramatic? I'm being an arsehole, yeah?”

He tightens his grip where his palm is locked to Danny's arm. “No. Shut up.” He lets Danny lean in, nose to his throat, and Ryan rests his chin on top of his lowered head. “You care so much about your work and it shows in your talent. I hope you never lose that. You're genuine and I'm glad that I was here to see you win.”

They lapse into a comfortable, hugging silence with the party still going on inside, until Danny takes a deep breath in and straightens up. “Thanks,” he grins, tipping his empty glass in a fake cheers.

Ryan smiles too. “Feeling better?”

“Yeah, you're right. _Again_ , like always.” he groans before mischief crosses his face. “Hey, d'you think I'm gonna be as wise as you when I grow up?”

“And he's back in the room,” Ryan declares, giving the end of his crooked tie a playful tug. Age jokes are Danny's favourite, the bastard.

“Can't keep a good man down,” he winks.

Ryan presses a kiss to his temple, Danny's hair increasingly fluffier as the night wears on, and is about to let go of his tie when Danny's fingers curl gently around his wrist. Their eyes meet and Ryan twists his hand out from Danny's grasp to cup his face. His beard is nowhere near as thick as it has been, but it still bristles against his fingertips and it's a shock to feel it, lips parting slightly.

“You know what usually happens when you look at me like that,” Danny murmurs, giddy.

Ryan shrugs and lets his eyes drift from Danny's, to his mouth and back up again before he uses the hand on Danny's jaw and neck to guide him close. Their lips touch so soft it's like a caress, the whisper of Ryan's earlier words passing between them until he slowly pulls back. Danny's face is flushed pink, but he raises his glass like he's going to blame it on the alcohol and darts in to kiss Ryan on the cheek, affection for each other blanketing their chests so fiercely it almost feels tangibly warm. 

“Coming onto my husband again, Danny?” 

They both look up to see Daisy walking towards them as if she isn't wear a floor length dress and heels, gliding effortlessly like a goddess. Ryan beams, his eyes crinkling. He's aware of Danny's gaze on the side of his face and then turning to Daisy.

“More like the other way 'round this time, love,” he says, smug.

Ryan lets go of his shoulder, outraged. “Traitor!”

“The lady needs to know what she's dealing with,” Danny laughs, hands up.

“Trust me, I already do,” she chips in dryly as Ryan flounders for a comeback. Where's Robert's lines when he needs them?

“I was being _nice_. He was doing that worried puppy dog thing!”

Daisy shakes her head. “Men. You're all hopeless. Here,” she holds out a glass of champagne to Danny, “Drink this, get drunk. You deserve it.” Her dark eyes slide to Ryan and he stands up properly. “And you, not sure I should give this to you because I don't want you giving out free kisses to everyone,”

He shuffles back to her side and squeezes her waist. “Jealous?”

“Saving you from getting a reputation, darling,”

Danny cackles, having necked pretty much the whole glass already. Guess he's taking her advice after all, even if Ryan told him the same. “I think I love ya more than I love him,” he blurts out, giggling.

Ryan grabs the champagne from Daisy's hand and downs it. “Take that back!” he exclaims, “C'mere!” He lunges at Danny with arms outstretched, smothering him in an embrace and planting a big kiss on his forehead. “What were you sayin' about my wife? Eh? No one loves her more than me!”

As they're playfully scuffling, Daniel joins them. “Oi, what're you doin' to my date? Put him down!” he calls then turns to Daisy. “Although, are they fighting or hugging?”

She makes a show of tilting her head. “Aggressively cuddling? I don't know, I'm pretending not to know them.”

Ryan stops, his arm around Danny's neck, halfway to a headlock. “I heard that,”

“Well, they warned us it could get messy,” Daniel points out.

They watch for another moment then Daisy sighs and looks at Daniel. “Shall we leave these big kids for the bar?”

He nods and they make to go back inside, Ryan noticing them leaving and dragging Danny to follow. With their quiet moment over, he's determined that they're going to have a fantastic, drunk, _lovely_ time and if he ends up refusing to let go of his best mate for the rest of the night, well...Daisy's used to it.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading, lovelies x
> 
> I'm on tumblr at [theprincessed](http://www.theprincessed.tumblr.com). Come chat to me. :)


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